The First Winter
by k-a-dg
Summary: Tumblr self-para written in 2013. The characters of Eric & Ariel are completely owned by the Walt Disney Company.


Ariel finally thought she was well-acquainted with everything that had to do with the human world. She'd been married for almost 4 months now, and during that time Eric had explained everything he could to her. Now, feeling completely comfortable with her new life, and expecting her and Eric's first child, Ariel thought she couldn't be happier.

It was now December, and everything outside was cold. This was one thing that Ariel _wasn't_ used to yet; in Atlantica, the water was always the perfect temperature, and the only time it ever really changed when there was a storm up above. But here, the weather changed constantly; something called "seasons." Though the redhead certainly wasn't familiar with them, she figured she would get used to it easily.

Early one morning, the former mermaid woke up feeling colder than usual. She was wrapped in many blankets and was wearing a long nightgown, but her teeth were chattering and her skin felt cold. Getting out of bed, she glanced over at the large window in the master bedroom, and gasped to see large, white somethings floating down to the ground.

Eyes widened, she jumped out of bed and ran over to the window, looking down at the ground. The sand was covered with the white things, and Ariel didn't know what was happening. Were they being attacked? Was Ursula still alive, and this was a spell she put on their kingdom? Ariel grew more worried by the second, and she decided she had to find Eric and alert him of the strange white things.

After haphazardly putting on her clothes, the princess hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen, thankful to see Eric standing by the window and looking at the white things as well. "Eric!" she cried, hurrying over to him and pointing outside. "Are we being attacked?! What's all that stuff!? It won't stop!" She bit her lip, anxious and unsure.

What she wasn't expecting was for Eric to laugh and smile. "It's completely normal, love," he explained. "It's snow! This is what happens in the winter-" he broke off, pausing before turning his attention to her. "Oh, that's right.. You've never seen snow before, have you?" Ariel looked up at him with sad eyes and shook her head slightly. "Well, come on, let me show you," he said, taking her hand.

Ariel stepped into her boots and coat and followed Eric outside. Hesitantly, she stepped into the white-covered sand, and as she walked, she saw that the white stuff was imprinted with her footsteps. She carefully knelt down and touched the "snow" with her finger, before quickly drawing it back. "It's… It's cold," she said, no longer anxious but rather, intrigued. "And wet.. Why is it wet?" she asked, turning to look at a smiling Eric.

Eric walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pointing up at the sky. "Well, you know what rain is, right?"

She nodded, smiling a bit. "Yes, yes, of _course_ I know what rain is."

He chuckled and continued, "Well, since it's so cold outside, the clouds are cold, too. When they get too cold, the rain freezes and becomes snow instead of rain. See?" He stuck out his tongue and caught a flake, and Ariel watched with awe as the white snowflake quickly became water. She followed his lead, noticing that the snow really did taste like water or rain.

"Oh!" she said with understanding, now growing giddy. She loved the feeling of the snowflakes landing and melting on her face. But as she was enjoying the sensation, she felt something hit against her back. Turning quickly, she saw Eric laughing as he held a ball of the snow. As she was about to ask him how he got that, he bent down and packed the snow together, making another one with his hands.

"Snowball fight!" he laughed, tossing another one in Ariel's direction. Giggling, she dodged it and made her own, throwing it to hit Eric in the shoulder. But when it hit him, he stumbled over, clutching his shoulder and wincing.

Ariel gasped and ran over to him, kneeling down beside him. _"What have I done,_ ** _what have I done!?_** _"_ As she was about to ask him what happened, Eric leaned up quickly and kissed her cheek. "Gotcha!" he laughed, standing up again and running away.

Ariel laughed and chased after him, all her previous worries _melting_ away. She was loving the snow, and she couldn't think of a better way to have started the day. _Now_ she knew everything about life on land, for sure.


End file.
